Dog Parks are a Beautiful Disaster of Opportunity

My dog plays at home with his one dog friend, never at the park

In the country, people just let their dogs roam. Good country dogs know to stay on their home territory, some are trained to be responsible off-leash. The only fences in the country are the ones meant to keep the livestock in, not the dogs. It’s just how it is. My dogs have country life. 

In the city, a lot of people have fenced yards for their dogs to play in, they take their dogs for routine walks, or they go to the magical and wonderful blessing that is the Dog Park.
 
But, is the Dog Park really blessing? Or, is it a disaster? 
 
I know what I’ll recommend to clients, but only you can decide how you feel about the Dog Park. I’ll share the benefits of taking your dog to a fenced Dog Park, pet or service dog, and the dangers. I’ll share tips about how to use the Dog Park to your best advantage. I’ll also give extra notes on the hazards to a service dog team being at a dog park.

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My Opinion on It, as a Professional, as a Dog Owner, and as a Disabled Individual

As a professional, it's a great place to train your dog around a wealth of distractions and shenanigans, OUTSIDE THE FENCE. 

As a dog owner, it makes me nervous to think about taking my dogs inside the wire. I've put a ton of work into my dogs. I know my boys are reliable and safe, but I don't know that of the other dogs there, and it is incredibly easy for dogs' play to tip over into a genuine fight in the blink of an eye. My boys are also service dogs or in-training to be one. Anything happening to them would mean my health care management gets absolutely obliterated, as well as whatever physical and mental injuries they sustain. 

As a disabled individual, it makes me nervous. Dogs can hurt me incredibly easily, by jumping up, rushing into me, or mouthing on me. I don't need the pain trigger of being mobbed by a bunch of enthusiastic and possibly out of control dogs. 

Have I taken a dog into the fence? Yes. My 1st dog used to go all the time. She was a bully, though I didn't know it at the time. She was in a fight once, not a bad one, and not one she started, but she was determined to finish it. Not a proud moment. The horrifying part was when the owner of the other dog was walking her dog off, petting it, and praising it for doing better than last time and not killing this one...

I did take Robbie to the dog park 3x during his training. Inside the fence, we worked on recalls, being accepting of other dogs possibly being rough with me, and doing commands. It was also an opportunity for me to study body language between a familiar dog and unfamiliar dogs. It was very stressful for me, having him in there, and I second guess that choice to this day. It's not one I'll be repeating or recommending to anyone, but it's good for you to know that I'm not perfect. 

In summary, I do not advocate for taking your dog to the dog park. The only time I feel your dog should be at a dog park is to work on training with YOU, and should be working outside the fence, never going inside. ​

​That said, I feel it important for you to be aware of the opportunities for good or bad learning, advantages, and disadvantages presented by the dog park. ​

Disaster of Opportunities

At a dog park your dog could learn so much. There is equal opportunity to learn good behaviors, learn bad behaviors, have training unraveled, have training strengthened, have fun, or leave in tatters.

• There is the opportunity to practice handler focus. Or to practice ignoring their handler because maybe to your dog, no leash = no reason.
•  There is the opportunity to share toys with strange dogs. Or to practice resource guarding over a coveted stick.
•  There is the opportunity to practice walking through gates politely, without rushing. Or to practice shoving their owner out of the way, so they can barrel into the waiting throng of dogs faster. Or the opportunity for other dogs to rush you and your dog, leaving you trapped in a small box with no escape.
•  There is the opportunity to practice good manners when meeting new dogs, choosing which dogs to play with and which to ignore, and good manner during play. Or the chance to practice being a bully or getting bullied.
•  There is the opportunity to practice known training skills in a high distraction zone, ignoring other dogs, toys, birds, squirrels, and a plethora of smells. Or the opportunity for them to get stressed out & overwhelmed if they weren’t properly prepared for working in a high distraction zone like the dog park.
•  There is the opportunity to meet friendly dogs. Or the opportunity to meet dogs with who are aggressive, reactive to certain stimuli, or generally dangerous.

Advantages & Disadvantages

Advantages of Going Inside

• Gives your dog a chance to run and play without the fear of them running away or getting hit by traffic
• Fenced in area to practice off-leash focus and commands such as sit, down, hell, and recalls
• Fun bonding time with your dog
• Chance to experience and observe different types of dogs and dog behavior
• Might make new friends with other dog owners in your area
• Some parks encourage private introductions between each dog to ensure that they will all get along with each other before being allowed to play freely off-leash (this is rare)

Disadvantages of Going Inside

• Can't be 100% sure of the behavior, disposition, training level, or demeanor of the other dogs
• Not all of the owners are attentive about where their dogs are, what they are doing, and sometimes even ignore them when they misbehave
• While there are signs up telling owners not to bring aggressive dogs into the park, not all owners obey the rules
• Dogs may be at risk to disease (you can’t be sure the dogs are healthy), getting attacked, learning poor behaviors, or being mistreated by other owners
• You can’t trust that the other owners will intervene if something happens, or that their dog is well-socialized
• There are so many dogs to watch & try to read their body language all at once. 
• Your dog might learn poor behaviors

How to Train Safely at the Dog Park

Stay outside the fence! Use the presence of the dog park as a distraction and added challenge for your dog, without exposing them to the dangers of it. There is plenty that can be done outside the fence.

• Practice asking your dog to hold a sit or down along the walkway to the gates. You want them to remain in their position, ignore dogs that pass by, ignore strangers that approach. This exercise is vital for service dogs to learn, but can be a great exercise in impulse control for pets as well.
• Practice recalls on leash a few feet away from the fence, slowly increasing the challenge for focus & responsiveness by moving closer to the fence. Goal would be to be right along the fence line, with other dogs barking and running on the other side, with your dog able to do recalls on leash without issue.
• Practice walking in and out of the initial gateway (most parks have two gates to enter), when no one else is near the gates, to reinforce good manners around higher distractions and in a potentially higher excitement level.
• Sit on a bench close to the dog park, and ask your dog to hold a long down without whining, barking, or breaking down.

Special Considerations for Service Dog Teams and/or Disabled Pet Owners

• If you are stressed out, your SD will be stressed out and may be too focused on trying to help you than playing with other dogs. 
• If your service dog is for alerts, a dog park may be too hectic and distracting, causing them to miss things. All service dogs need time off, but they all still need to be able to have some measure of focus on their handlers.
• If you are sensitive to being jumped on or are a fall risk, being inside a dog park poses a very high threat to your well-being. Your dog may know not to be rough with you, but the 10 or 15 strange dogs racing up to you don’t know to be gentle.
• If there is an accident in the park such as your dog getting attacked or bullied by another dog, it could make them reactive or aggressive towards other dogs or extremely nervous around dogs in general, either of which would mean your dog couldn’t be a service dog anymore. It’s a huge risk to take.​​

Special Note: Dog Parks vs Dog Day Care

If you need a place to let your dog socialize with other dogs, learn good behaviors, and give yourself a break, looking into a doggy day care can be a good alternative. I recommend doing thorough research first, though, to find a place with good reviews and a good reputation.

• Many day care places offer training to help teach your dog good behavior
• Dogs are closely supervised
• Dogs are introduced slowly to each other to ensure they will get along
• Behaviors such as bullying, being aggressive or reactive, or showing lots of fearfulness & lack of confidence are immediately addressed at reputable centers

Your Dog Wants to Be With YOU

A lot of people believe that taking their dog to the dog park is something their dog desperately needs in order to survive. The best analogy I’ve heard for a dog park is imagining if someone dragged you to a cocktail party with a bunch of strangers who has a wide array of personalities, some easy to tolerate, others over-bearing and intimidating. Then being told you can’t leave, and to “have fun.” Not so much of a blessing. It’s hard to make friends at a cocktail party because everyone is tense and not being their true selves because they aren’t relaxed. The dog park is an extremely similar experience for your dog.
 
Your dog wants to bond with you. They want to play with you. They don’t need 20 dog friends to be happy. If you want them to have dog friends, that’s fine, but tossing them into the Dog Park Shark Pool isn’t necessarily the best way to give them that. ​